THE STRUCTURE OF TRIPHENYLMETHANOL, PH3COH

C19H16O, M, = 260.3, trigonal, R3BAR, a = 19.307 (3), c = 26.735 (4) angstrom, V = 8631 (2) angstrom3, Z = 24, D, = 1.20 g cm-3 lambda(Mo K-alpha) = 0.71073 angstrom, mu = 0.7 cm-1, F(000) = 3312, T = 294 K, R = 0.083, wR = 0.068 for 1022 observed reflections. The structure contains hydrogen-bonded pyramidal tetramers (which have approximate 32 symmetry) with one molecule lying on a crystallographic threefold axis and another in a general position. The analysis was complicated by disorder in the crystal lattice where 71% of the tetramers occupy one orientation and 29% another; these moieties have their phenyl rings in the same volume elements in the lattice. The O...O separations in the hydrogen-bond systems are 2.884 (10) and 2.896 (11) angstrom in the major tetramer and 2.80 (3) and 2.90 (3) angstrom in the minor tetramer.